Wondering About Distance
by Del Rion
Summary: Peter ought to be sleeping, but his mind has more important things to do – like wonder about Claude, and his teaching methods.


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**Story Info**

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**Title:** Wondering About Distance  
**Author:** Del Rion ( (at) )  
**Fandom:** Heroes  
**Era:** Season 1  
**Genre:** General  
**Rating:** K+ / FRC  
**Characters:** Peter Petrelli, Claude Rains (, Nathan Petrelli)  
**Summary:** Peter ought to be sleeping, but his mind has more important things to do – like wonder about Claude, and his teaching methods.  
Complete.  
**Written for:** _Heroes_Contest_'s Drabble Challenge 9: Distance  
**Warnings:** Season 1 spoilers, implied violence.  
**Beta:** Mythra  
**Disclaimer:** The show, its characters, its places, and everything else, belong to Tim Kring and the other respective creators and owners of 'Heroes'. I have made no profit by writing this story, and make no claim over the show.  
**Feedback:** The good, the bad, the ugly – as long as it's fair and constructive, keep it coming.  
**Author's Notes:** English is not my native language, but may that be forgiven.

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**About _Wondering About Distance_:** On the first season of Heroes, Peter was easily pushed into things he perhaps didn't approve of. That, of course, doesn't mean he wouldn't wonder about them – or question their motives and reasoning.

And, yes: we all miss Claude, don't we?

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**Story and its status:** Below you see the writing process of the story. If there is no text after the title, then it is finished and checked. Possible updates shall be marked after the title.

**Wondering About Distance**

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Written for **Heroes_Contest**'s Drabble Challenge 9 (Distance).

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Wondering About Distance**

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Peter's thoughts sometimes keep him awake at night. He doesn't know how to get rid of them, exactly, nor is he certain if he _should_, so he doesn't. He allows them to whirl in the darkness of his bedroom and crowd the hours he should use for sleeping.

Tonight, he wonders about distance; not the kind you can count with a ruler, from point A to point B, but the strange kind you can't quite grasp, as if it's eluding you all the time, but is still there.

There is an obvious distance between him and his parents. That is not something he needs to think about, though, since it's not new or unexpected.

Recently, he has noticed a gap between himself and Nathan. It pains him to know his brother doesn't get it; even while Nathan knows he can fly, and could do amazing things, he doesn't understand why Peter does what he does.

Then there's Claude. It is amazing how two people who actually have the world between them wind up being together. Peter doesn't like him, at all, nor the way the invisible man treats him, but he must live with it if he wants to spare New York from destruction – or so he keeps telling himself. Perhaps that is not the case. Maybe he just wants to do something, hang onto someone, and tell himself he is doing _all_ that he can to save the world.

Claude likes distance. He would gladly distance himself from Peter, too, but that is hard. And maybe he has a conscience too, since he's now sticking around to help him. The nickname "Poodle" still hurts, but in his head Peter has turned it into some kind of affectionate endearment. It's a good thing Claude can't read minds.

Peter shifts on the bed, closes his eyes, and wonders about the distance between abuse and constructive training. In his opinion, they crossed that line long ago. Claude either knows that and doesn't care, or he honestly believes in what he is doing. It is kind of disturbing to imagine that he actually likes to beat Peter up. After all, Peter could never enjoy it if their places were reversed. Perhaps, if they were closer to each other, as people, Claude would see that too?

He likes the idea. It's certainly worth trying. After all, it's so much better to be nice to people rather than mean, greedy, or disrespectful. Only, he isn't sure if he actually prefers the distance between them; he doesn't want to be like Claude, and the other isn't about to change his ways either.

So, back to square one; back to the "let's stop the bomb" part that is all he can think of these days.

While Peter has to change who he is to save the world, it doesn't mean he has to distance himself from it. Right?

**The End**


End file.
